The Swenson show

January 8, 2015

Swenson head coach Kevin Lockett, in his third season, has the Lions off to a 7–1 start, including a perfect 6–0 mark in division play.

Meet the Swenson boys basketball team, the best area high school hoops squad you’ve never heard of.

Worry not: this year’s version of the Lions is doing everything possible to amend the latter part of that statement.

In a city with so many high school options, Swenson, a full-time technical/vocational institution, has done a fabulous job of flying under the radar. Located near Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard just north of Northeast Airport, it’s one of the few schools in the district that is classified as “special admission,” as in, not just anybody can sign up to go there. Its motto is “Many Voices, One Great School,” which could also be applied to the boys varsity basketball program.

The Lions compete in the Public League’s “D” Division, along with schools like Franklin Towne Charter and Kensington. This year’s squad is led by four standout seniors who have been with head coach Kevin Lockett since he got the job three years ago, a fact that is almost unheard of in this age of Public League basketball, where students jump from school to school like they’re frogs on lilypads.

“We’re more hungry and humble,” said senior co-captain Clarence Brunot. “A lot of us have been here since freshman or sophomore year, and we understand now what it takes to make the playoffs. I’ve been on varsity since freshman year, and we’ve always fallen short. We made the decision before this season that we were done falling short. After all that suffering, when you finally put it together and see results, it’s a great feeling.

“We may not have a name like Washington or Northeast. But we’re going to make one.”

That’s exactly what Brunot and his teammates have done so far. The Lions are off to a 7–1 start overall, including a perfect 6–0 mark in the division, tied with Kensington for first place. Brunot scores eight points per game, but specializes more in distributing and defending; Jihad Warner, who averages just over 11 oints per game, is the team’s leading rebounder and tallest player at 6-foot-3; then there’s senior guards Alex Rodriguez (14.1 oints per game as well as lockdown defensive skills) and Somah Slewion, the other captain who scores 17.8 oints per game (he and Rodriguez have posted double figures in all six division games).

All have distinct roles and voices, with each of the 14 players on the roster serving as unique pieces to the puzzle Swenson has been building over the last few years. It’s not complete yet, considering the program has yet to qualify for the playoffs, but it’s close.

Really close.

“It’s taken a lot of patience,” Slewion said. “We’ve learned from past mistakes, especially last year; it’s a matter of going out there and doing it, and everyone is taking care of their jobs. We have a lot of pride, and we dream big. We’re a family, a bunch of brothers who stand up for each other.”

The past mistakes Slewion was referring to last year was the team getting off to a 4–0 start, only to drop six of the last eight games and drop out of playoff contention. Listen to the players talk, and it’s clear they have no interest in re-creating history.

“I think we got a little big-headed last year when we won,” Rodriguez said. “Now, we stay humble. We look at that 6–0 (record) and leave it in the past, because we know it means nothing now. Big heads were a big reason why we lost. Now, we play as a family. When we stick to that, we win games.”

Or, as Warner succinctly put it: “We knew right away last year that we had to get better. It comes from experience, and everybody is playing more consistently. It’s been a lot more fun.”

Lockett has raved about the maturation of his team, saying the seniors basically run practices themselves. A recent visit to a practice at Pelbano Rec Center backed that statement up.

“They’re a phenomenal group of 14 young men,” Lockett said. “They’re appreciative and respectful of the opportunity, and they work their tails off. The experience we have will take us a long way, and I told them at the beginning of the season we can be one of the top teams in our division.”

So far, so good on that front.

“Somah and I came in with the same mindset,” Brunot said. “We never heard much about Swenson, so we wanted to come in here and make it known as a basketball school. We wanted to look back on our senior year and say that we made something out of nothing. We took our hits, but the pieces are coming together.

“It’s three things: first, we truly put our trust in God; two, we have a short-term memory whether we win or lose, because we know we want to get to the playoffs and make noise; and number three is we work hard and push each other at practice. We know now the farther we make it as a team, the more we’ll get recognized.”

While there’s still a lot of season left, it’d be surprising not to see a team with this much talent in the playoffs. Once you get there, who knows? Anything can happen.

“It’s up to us to perform and play,” Slewion said. “We want to make history. If we make the playoffs, we’ll be remembered. Most teams, they’re remembered for a year or two, then guys graduate and you forget about them. But people will remember the first team who made the playoffs, and I think that’s something special worth striving for.”

“The goal is in our heads,” Brunot added. “And we’re not going to fall short.” ••